1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an embroidery sewing machine which can carry out embroidery sewing on workpiece cloth set on an embroidery frame based on embroidery data of embroidery pattern and a quilting sewing by free motion without using the embroidery frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Embroidery sewing machines comprising a carriage and an embroidery frame have conventionally been used widely. The embroidery frame is attached to the carriage to hold workpiece cloth to be sewn. The carriage and the embroidery frame are moved so that a desired embroidery pattern is formed on the workpiece cloth. The embroidery sewing machine comprises an X-axis driving mechanism and a Y-axis driving mechanism both having an X-axis drive motor and a Y-axis drive motor both driven based on sewing data respectively. The carriage is moved in the front-rear direction by the Y-axis driving mechanism in the right-left direction by the X-axis driving mechanism.
For example, JP-2004-254987 discloses a multineedle embroidery sewing machine comprising a pair of mountings, a sewing pillar, a sewing arm, a cylinder bed and a carriage movable in the front-rear direction. An embroidery frame movable in the right-left direction is attached to the carriage. A desired embroidery pattern is formed on workpiece cloth held on the embroidery frame based on the sewing data stored on a read only memory (ROM) incorporated in a control device.
On the other hand, a quilting stitch has recently been desired with the use of quilting cloth having a three-layer structure in which cotton, plume or urethane foam is stuffed between top fabric and underlining. Stitches are formed on the top fabric so as to form a decorative pattern. In this case, while a needlebar of the embroidery sewing machine is driven up and down, the operator manually moves the three-layered quilting cloth in any direction to combine straight stitches and curved stitches, thereby forming the quilting stitch in a joyful way.
The aforesaid conventional multineedle embroidery sewing machine is directed to forming an embroidery pattern of some sort on workpiece cloth held on the embroidery frame. Accordingly, when using the embroidery sewing machine, the operator needs to select a desired embroidery pattern previously before operation of the start switch. Furthermore, when using the aforesaid embroidery sewing machine to carry out the quilting stitches, the operator detaches the embroidery frame from the carriage, selects a suitable embroidery frame and then operates the start switch. The control device then drives the sewing machine motor so that the needlebar is vertically moved. Thus, the quilting stitch is considered to be carried out by manually moving the quilting cloth suitably by the operator. However, since the carriage is moved upon drive of the needlebar, the carriage stands in the way when the operator moves the quilting cloth, whereupon the quilting stitch cannot substantially be carried out.